Issue 126 - Cottenham Newsletter

ISSUE NUMBER 126
DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012
District Councillors’ report
In this issue, I take the opportunity on behalf of the District
Councillors to focus on purely local issues.
I hope that by now most of you will have seen the notices
that have been put up in various locations in the village
advising that the Co-op have announced that they will reopen their shop on 8 December. I know that for most people
this is not before time. I take this opportunity to expand on
the brief details that were included in the notices.
When the shop opens on 8 December the sales area will
be slightly smaller than it was before the fire (2,000 sq ft
compared with the previous 2,550 sq ft). However, this
is only temporary while the rear storage area is rebuilt.
There will be a new shop front with some improvements
to acknowledge the shop’s location in the conservation
area and the roof will be replaced. The replacement for the
demolished rear part of the store will be all brick and will
have a pitched roof instead of flat. When completed the
sales area will be close to 3,000 sq ft. The interior will be
re-designed to meet the Co-op’s up to date interior style.
We have all missed the facility and the priority has been
to work with the Co-op to get the store open again as
soon as possible. Whilst some other local traders have
done their admirable best to help to fill the gap it has to
be acknowledged that it was a big gap to fill. The past few
months have brought into sharp focus the unique position
that the Co-op has in the village and it is somewhat
surprising that this was not recognised more quickly by
their senior management. However, some hard work has
been going on in the background to make amends for this
and things are now moving forward much more quickly.
Efforts will continue to monitor progress on behalf of the
village and questions are welcomed.
A similar amount of hard work has been undertaken over the
last few months by the Friends of Cottenham Library. On
Tuesday 18 October Julia Donaldson, the Children’s Laureate,
accepted their invitation to visit Cottenham Library. The writer
of The Gruffalo and 156 other books energetically entertained
two classes from Cottenham Primary School for a whole
morning. It was disappointing that the County Councillors
chose the same day to vote on an increase to their allowances
thus distracting the press from what was a much more
enjoyable event. Please do support the efforts of the Friends
who are working hard to support the future of our Library.
And to complete a report with a focus on community effort,
congratulations go to Stevens Close Residents’ Association
who came first in the Best Sheltered Housing Communal
Garden section in this year’s SCDC Chairman’s Awards.
Contact details for your District Councillors are included
in the list of local contacts provided in this Newsletter.
Please let us know if we can be of help. Alternatively come
and talk to us at our next Councillors’ Surgery which will
be held at the Cottenham Community Centre on Friday 2
December starting at 19.00.
Lynda Harford
Dates:
December
1st Salvation Army, Coffee Morning, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am
1st Toy Library, Regular session, Salvation Army Barn, 2:00pm
1st Parish Council, Planning Committee, Council Office Ebenezer House, 7:15pm
3rd Salvation Army, Jumble Sale, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am
5th Royal British Legion, Bingo evening, Legion Hall, 7:00pm
6th Parish Council, Council Meeting, Ebenezer House, 7:30pm
14th Women’s Institute, An evening of folk and festive songs with Tim Brading, Village College, 7:45pm
15th Salvation Army, Coffee Morning, Salvation Army Barn 10:00am to 11:30am
15th Toy Library, Regular session and Christmas Party, Salvation Army Barn, 2:00pm
15th Parish Council, Planning Committee, Council Office Ebenezer House, 7:15pm
19th Royal British Legion, Bingo evening, Legion Hall, 7:00pm
20th Parish Council, Carols on the Village Green and Father Christmas, Village Green 6:30pm
January
5th Toy Library, Regular session, Salvation Army Barn, 2:00pm
5th Parish Council, Planning Committee, Council Office Ebenezer House, 7:15pm
10th Parish Council, Council Meeting, Ebenezer House, 7:30pm
11th Women’s Institute, Alexander Technique by Patricia Mark Wildsmith, Village College, 7:45pm
13th Village Society Cambridge Grocer: the story of Matthews of Trinity Street, Primary School, 7:45pm
16th Royal British Legion, Bingo evening, Legion Hall, 7:00pm
19th Toy Library, Regular session, Salvation Army Barn, 2:00pm
19th Parish Council, Planning Committee, Council Office Ebenezer House, 7:15pm
Small ads:
.........
Experienced Electrician Part P registered, local,
reliable, over 20 years experience. Design, installation,
inspection & testing work carried out, no job too small.
10% discount for senior citizens. Call Peter for a free, no
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.........
LB TILING SERVICE walls & floors tiled. Ceramic,
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.........
TOAT – “Tom of all Trades” Tom Wykes Handyman. No job
is too big or too small – garden/house clearance, shelving,
plumbing and so on – call Tom for a quote on 01954
250324, 07762 559259
.........
FURNITURE POLISHING AND REPAIR Polishing and
restoration of antique (and not so antique) furniture by a local
Cottenham restorer. Rob Ellis, tel: 01954 250153
.........
Window Cleaner Local ex-serviceman. Experienced
and reliable service. Reasonable charges, call Jim tel: 01223
864639 Mob: 07545 967353
.........
Help needed delivering and collecting
catalogues Earn £50 to £500 per week. Call Stephen
on 01223 858370
.........
SPANISH TUITION by an experienced native speaker for
business, holidays, GCSE, AS and A levels. Also essays
proofreading and translations. References available. Contact
Maria Gabriela (Mona) Pembrey 01954 250879 or
monapembrey1@ntlworld.com
.........
Domestic Cleaners Required, for our clients, Part
time or Full time (Self-Employment positions), Vacancies
available within walking distance from your home, £7.00 per
hour. Cash Hours to suit. Tel: 01223 655425 or visit at:
www.decentcleaning.co.uk
MILLIONHAIRS mobile hairdressing. For an appointment
in your own home call MICHELLE on 01954 201136 or
07788480239. 10% discount will be given to senior citizens
on Monday and Tuesday. 10% discount will be given to all
children eight years old and under. No travelling, no parking,
no waiting. All in the comfort of your own home.
.........
Experienced Professional Music Teacher/
Examiner has a limited number of places available.
Specialising in: Piano, Guitar, Drums and Theory of Music,
but available for most instruments. All ages, beginner to
professional. Examinations if required. Contact John Branton.
Mobile: 07786 131782 Email: john@johnbranton.com
Web: Johnbranton.co.uk
.........
Airport Transfers From Cottenham – Victory
Executive Cars based in Cottenham. We offer transfers to
all Airports, Seaports, Rail terminals. We are a chauffeured
service, we can cater for all your transportation needs. Theatre
trips, Restaurant runs, Nights out. Our Airport Transfers start
from £45. Account customers welcome. Call us on 01954
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.........
Fresh Grimsby Fish Fresh and smoked fish, shellfish
in Cottenham every Thursday morning. Est. since 1989. Call
Ray on 07702 830308 to arrange a call to your office or
home. No order too small.
.........
All Building work and property maintenance
Extensions, alterations, renovations. Portfolio and references
available. Qualified tradesmen and reliable service. Free
estimates. Call: 01954 200879 07900 980423
.........
Peat’s Garden Services lawn and hedge cutting,
pruning, planting, rotovating, turfing, weekly and monthly visits,
all garden work undertaken. All garden waste removed. For a free
estimate call Pete Bullen 01954 250771 or 07749 863047
2
Phil the Van, a local, independent, reliable and competitive
Man & Van service. Call Phil on 07722 096706
.........
Professional Domestic Cleaners Offering
domestic cleaning in your area. Our rate is £10.50 per hour
(min 2 hours per week). All our cleaners are vetted and
insured. Honest and Reliable. We cover all CB postcode
areas. Call us on: 01223 655425 or 07960 419571
email: enquire@decentcleaning.co.uk, or Visit us at:
www.decentcleaning.co.uk
.........
Bon Bon Books – Over 6000 used, new & out-of-print
books, plus a selection of CDs and DVDs. Wide range of
categories with a good choice of fiction, cookery books
and children’s titles. Delivery to Cottenham only £0.50
per item or free for orders over £5. Visit my website at:
www.bonbonbooks.co.uk for a full list, or e-mail: info@
bonbonbooks.co.uk Tel: 01954 201742 or 07764 195860
.........
P&R Laundry ironing and laundry service. Duvet washing
from £8.00. Free collection and return. Tel: 01954 250658
Mob/Txt:07708215701, email pr.laundry@hotmail.com
.........
How about some delicious patisserie on your
table this Christmas! Gourmandises offers a wide range of
freshly made traditional French patisserie for all occasions,
(birthdays, weddings, parties, corporate events or just for
yourself and family). Call Corinne today on 01954 201724 or
07724 005523. www.gourmandises.co.uk, or email: corinne.
payet@gmail.com. Free delivery for Cottenham and Rampton.
.........
J.R.S. Roofing Services All flat roofing undertaken.
Felt, single ply, liquid plastics, decking and leadwork, fascia,
soffits and guttering. Insurance work carried out. Free advice
and quotations. Friendly efficient service, from your village
roofing company. Call 01954 201088 or 07785 030547.
.........
I am looking for three to five people with
intermediate knowledge of Spanish like myself to form a
small group meeting in each other’s houses once or twice
a month. We would converse, read, translate and perhaps
watch a DVD in Spanish, all to the accompaniment of olives
and Rioja wine! If you are interested, please call Suzanne on
01954 251399.
.........
VACANCY Analysis and reporting A bright, selfconfident person is required to join a strategic agricultural
consultancy team in Cottenham. Depending on the skills of the
successful candidate, the work could include data gathering,
analysis and reporting as well as updating our websites. The
successful applicant is likely to be a graduate in a scientific
or mathematical subject and be able to provide evidence of
analytical skills. He/she should be able to demonstrate good use
of English as well as being conversant with Microsoft Word and
Excel. We are keen to build on the strengths of the successful
applicant and the post has the potential to develop to make the
most of the candidate’s skills and strengths. The post will be parttime (1–3 days per week) and hours flexible – possibly ‘school
hours’. Pay rate: would depend on the experience and capability
of the successful candidate. Start date: negotiable. Please apply
in writing, including a CV to: Christine Ward, Increment Ltd, 11
Margett Street, Cottenham, Cambridge CB24 8QY or e-mail:
chris.ward@increment.co.uk
.........
Versatile Musician Needed to join 30-40-yearold rockers ‘The Maniacs’. Do you play keyboards and
rhythm guitar? Can you write songs or sing (Rage against
the machine/Free)? Hang up your air guitar and email
Alistair.brown@yahoo.co.uk
.........
Don’t be Distressed Learn to ‘Dee’-Stress –
Classes for men and women – now located at the Salvation
Army Barn 1:25pm–2:30pm £6.50 session. Please contact
Dee Loakes 07901 774660 or email: dee.loakes@tesco.net
JC Oven Cleaning Honest, reliable, professional, family
business. From £50 for a single oven. Please contact me
for appointments and prices. Call Jason 07786 821739 or
www.jcovencleaning.co.uk
.........
Amy Jones – your local florist, for any of your
floral needs. Delivery free in the village. I work with all the local
and Cambridge Funeral Directors; specialist floral tributes
designed and made. I am able to do all wedding work, large or
small. Please visit my website www.amyjonesflowers.co.uk or
telephone 01954 250818. Consultations free of charge.
.........
Sarah Jane Hairdressing would like to say thank you
to all their clients for their continued support over the past
year. May we also take this opportunity to wish you all a very
merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward
to seeing you in 2012. Best wishes from Sarah, Debbie,
Christine, Margaret, Michala and Amy xxx
.........
Do you live in Cottenham? Got the winter blues? Is
your housework getting you down? I may be able to help you
out. Please ring Penny on 01954 253351
.........
Man’s sheepskin coat Genuine leather, fully lined.
Chest 38”/40” Back Length 36”. Excellent condition. £40
ono, call 01954 250014
.........
Potatoes £4 a bag collected from Merton Hall, Smithy
Fen or £5 a bag delivered to your door in Cottenham. 01954
250818
.........
Why not advertise in the Newsletter! Items for sale,
announcement of family events, local products and/
or services...
5p per word, with all proceeds going to charity. Send
advertisements and payment to the editor.
Cheques should
Newsletter’.
3
be
made
out
to
‘Cottenham
Cottenham United FC
Cottenham United F.C. was formed back in 1899, the
idea of Mr. Gibbon, then deputy headmaster of the village
school. Thomas Ivatt was elected the first club president
and he held this position for 30 years. He also played and
was the main administrator, as well as providing a field
off Histon Road to be used as the home pitch. The field
was apparently so rutted it was known as the ‘Asparagus
Field’. In 1939 the club moved to the recreation ground
on Lambs Lane. The current changing rooms and social
club were built by volunteers in 1970 with funding and
materials from John Wynn and Peter Holland.
By the time this article comes to press the season 2011/12
will be well under way. Lance Key is in charge of training
on Tuesday evenings and throughout the winter we will
use the all-weather facilities at the Village College. The
first team were promoted to the Premier Division back in
1996. While winning silverware has been difficult since
then, there have been few teams who have maintained
Premier league status for so long. Over the last couple
of seasons we have had Jon Bridgeman, Josh Bridgeman
and Matt Jelley all play for the Kershaw Representative
side in the national cup.
There are three senior teams competing in the Kershaw
Premier and BIS Cambridge leagues on a Saturday. There
are also mini soccer matches for the youngsters on a
Saturday morning. On Sunday there is a veteran’s team
and a very active Colts section.
The Colts and Mini Soccer teams are run as a separate
entity but with good communication and an excellent
working relationship on and off the pitch. There has been
a steady progression of players into senior football. Last
season George Tolliday and Dan Stopher were both in the
County under 18s and Evan Key, James Chivers and Jack
Stone all represented the County at U16 level. Last year the
U16 team enjoyed a successful season and the early signs
are that in addition to those named there will be several
others progressing to the senior sides in the coming year.
With the additional land provided by the Parish Council in
2006 there is now capacity for four full-size pitches and
additional small pitches for mini soccer. The quality of the
playing surface wins much praise, rightly so. Therefore
it is a pity that, at present, we are embarrassed by the
changing rooms.
The team Managers for the season are Chris Tuck, Martin
Carter and Chris Richards.
The changing facilities have over the years been refurbished
but are in need now of further modernisation to comply with
minimum Football Association standards and negotiations
are progressing slowly with the Parish Council. This is a
challenge in these difficult economic times but vital in order
that Cottenham does not become the ‘poor neighbour’ to
the surrounding villages who boast bright new facilities.
Off the pitch the club continues to enjoy an excellent
relationship with Cottenham Sports & Social Club where
visiting teams and officials enjoy a drink after the game.
This is a facility that is essential for a club of this status.
The support of local business sponsorship with kits
supplied by Les Ward and the Curry Palace is very much
appreciated and we hope that these associations continue
for many years.
The Football Club is all inclusive, although at present we
have insufficient interest to run a Ladies team (maybe the
changing facilities?) Anyone interested in playing at any
level is very welcome to come join us at training. If you feel
able and interested in helping in the administration of the
club then please do get in touch.
For further information please contact Roy James
(Chairman) 01954 252557.
4
Crocus Focus thanks
Volunteers were recruited to help plant a staggering
6,000 crocus bulbs in three big patches on the Village
Green in Cottenham on Sunday, 9th October with the aim
of getting all 6,000 dug in before nightfall. The idea was
conceived by Jenny Robson Platt and Chris Eade. Several
early-blooming strains of crocus were selected to brighten
up the Village Green in the dark days of late winter and to
remind everyone who lives in and visits Cottenham what a
wonderful and vibrant place we live in.
Chris adds her thanks to everyone who offered support
for Crocus Focus, “It was a team effort,” she says, “we
couldn’t have planted 6,000 bulbs without plenty of help.
So, a big thank you to young and old who came along to
plant and to help add even more colour to Cottenham.”
Picture and words by David Bradley
Fragile Hope
December will see the Cottenham Community Centre
Coffee Shop host its first art exhibition. Curated by Simon
Oliver and entitled ‘Advent: Fragile Hope’ it will give
visitors and customers the opportunity to reflect on some
of the traditional Advent themes of hope and expectation,
patience and disappointment, in a slightly different way.
As well as works of art and poems, it will feature several
ultrasound scans of recent Cottenham babies (including
Simon’s own daughter!). So come along for an interesting
and thought-provoking exhibition (not to mention some
fantastic coffee and wonderful food…), 10:00am to 2:00,
Monday – Saturday during December (until December 23).
After word got round via the village grapevine, Steve Howie
and others’ email lists, Facebook and CPS ParentMail,
Chris estimates that about 100 volunteers of all ages
turned up with trowels, gardening gloves and a willingness
to help from 10 o’clock in the morning onwards. “It was
great to see so many people on the village green,” Chris
told The Cottenham Newsletter, “Jenny and I were quite
staggered by the effort everyone put in and would like to
thank them all for digging in!”
For more information about this, as well as details about
upcoming film screenings and other events see www.
revcoffee.net or e-mail Simon on simon.oliver@cantab.net
Jenny originally thought of the idea as a way of celebrating
life in Cottenham and as a way of remembering lost
loved ones. “We chose some new types of crocus to
plant that will come up early,” she says, “We’d love
people to take photos and to keep a record of when the
first blooms appear.”
Simon Oliver
5
Toy Library
John Moreton
HOMes
Do you have young children or grandchildren? Why not
call into the Toy Library at the Salvation Army barn to
browse our range of toys that are available to borrow and
enjoy a coffee. Everyone is welcome to come and play
with the toys and take part in the craft activities on offer.
Sessions run on the first and third Thursdays of the month
between 2:00pm and 4:00pm.
There is a vacancy in one of the houses located on the
corner of Rampton and Oakington Road. Applications will
be considered from someone who lives in the Parish or
from an aged relative of a parishioner who would like to
move into the Parish to be near their family.
We will be holding our annual Christmas party on 15th
December. We invite you and your children to come
along and enjoy some Christmas crafts and snacks and
have the chance to meet Santa. For more details please
visit our website: www.cottenhamtoylibrary.co.uk
The application should be from a person or couple on
low income. Residents are expected to be independent
and be able to look after themselves, although a mobile
warden scheme is available. The accommodation was fully
refurbished in 2007 to a high standard and is comprised
of a downstairs kitchen, bathroom and living room and
an upstairs en-suite bedroom. There is also a community
garden and car park available for the use of residents.
The rent can be covered in full by Housing Benefit via the
Local Housing Allowance depending on the income of the
applicants. An application form can be obtained from the
Charity by phoning 01954 250387.
Secretary,
Beth Bowstead
Corner Shop to Close
There will of course be the obligatory closing down sale
with many bargains to be had before Christmas so do
pop in.
It is with much sadness that we have to inform Newsletter
readers that we have decided to close The Corner Shop.
We will continue trading until Saturday 14th January 2012
which follows four years of happy trading. We have enjoyed
seeing and meeting so many people over the years, many
of whom have come to be friends. This decision has not
been made lightly but has been made for both personal
and financial reasons, we will be sad to say goodbye.
Thanks to everyone who has supported us during the last
four years.
Julie and Nik Percival
6
Free Christmas
Voucher
the Pension Credit rules, more if either is severely disabled.
For more information please contact the Cambridge
Citizens Advice Bureau (0844 848 7979) or the Pension
Credit helpline (0800 99 1234).
Thank you!!
Christmas vouchers have been given by Cottenham
charities for many years to help those individuals or
families on low income to meet the cost of Christmas.
Both Cottenham United Charity and the Fitzwilliam
Charity provide funds for the scheme. Residents in the
Parish in receipt of Income Support, Incapacity Benefit,
Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit
are eligible but we are not able to consider those
receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance.
On Friday 14th October, Cottenham Brass held its
annual feast concert, but this year we wanted it to be a
bit different, so we teamed with the Cottenham Theatre
workshop and Tyrannochorus with one united goal to raise
as much money as possible for Help for Heroes and The
Royal Legion.
We’re pleased to say the College main hall was full to
capacity, TyrannoChorus gave an excellent programme
and the Theatre workshop treated us all to a sneak preview
of their Christmas production of Pirates (a heads up – it’s
going to be well worth seeing!) We even managed to get
some audience participation/swaying during some pieces
played by the band. A special thanks must also go to Fay
and Co for the excellent interval catering.
Christmas voucher application forms will be available from
Cottenham Post Office from Monday 21st November and
must be returned by Wednesday 7th December. Applicants
should be receiving one or more of the above benefits or
Pension Credit. Proof of eligibility may be required and only
one application per household will be accepted.
Additionally, applications for grants for essential household
or disability items can also be considered throughout
the year from both charities. To apply please call 01954
250387. Recently grants have been made for a sofa, a
child’s bunk-bed, a cooker and a mobility scooter.
We’re very proud to announce we raised a brilliant total
of £1157.00, a sum far above what we had hoped. It
just goes to show that even in these hard times the good
people of Cottenham care! The money will be split equally
between the Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes.
All pensioners are entitled to receive a minimum weekly
income in 2011 of £137.35 for single pensioners and
£209.70 for couples. Those aged over 65 with savings
and other pensions, who have a weekly income of up
to £188 or £277 respectively, could still be entitled to
receive a pension supplement from the government under
Cottenham Brass
Cottenham Royal British Legion would like to express its
appreciation to Cottenham Brass for the funds raised –
thank you very much!
7
Cricket Club
all those involved with the 2nd’s this season – they did the
club proud. Just as a tailpiece, it’s worth reiterating what
we said in our Newsletter report on the Cup win – the
last time we won this Cup was in 1998 when our 1st XI
took the trophy. That surely says a lot about how we, as a
Cricket Club, have progressed since then.
It’s difficult to believe that a year has flown past since we
last put this piece together but it has and it’s time again
to report on the fortunes of Cottenham Cricket Club in
summer 2011. It turned out to be quite a memorable one
for the club with our 2nd XI both gaining promotion and
winning one of the CCA’s major Cups.
As far as the 1st team is concerned, 2011 was only a soso season really. This was our eleventh successive year
in the Senior League and we comfortably held our own
in Senior 2 yet it’s fair to say that, at the end, we felt our
League position didn’t really reflect the ability of the squad.
This was probably our strongest 1st team squad for ten
years or so but, for various reasons, we just weren’t able to
get our best side out often enough and that inevitably held
us back. Senior League cricket is pretty unforgiving and, if
you aren’t at your best, you’re very likely to get turned over
by the opposition. Having said all that there were some
really good efforts throughout the season. Skipper Chris
Tuck lead by example, taking 20 wickets, hitting 267 runs
at 29.7 and topping the outfield catching with 9 – a real
captain’s performance. Stuart Cronin was our top scorer
for the second year running with 396 runs at 33, and it
was good to have Tom Colquhoun back on a regular basis
as he hit 317 runs at 45.3. In addition to these three, good
scoring contributions were made by Matt Talaga (189),
Nigel Partridge (165) and Phil Hands (152). Our bowling
attack was also quite effective with Matt Johnson matching
Chris with 20 wickets, Jake Raven, in his first full season
in the 1sts at 16 years of age, taking 19 wickets and Mark
Evans (18), Samir Ali Khan (13) and Nick Davies (12) all
chipping in vitally at times. Matt Talaga was also the joint
top keeper in Senior 2 with 15 victims, a fine effort.
Pride of place this year, therefore, has to go to the
performances of our 2nds. Under Alan Raven’s captaincy,
they started the season with a ten match winning streak
in the League and, in addition to this, triumphed in four
successive Lower Junior Cup matches, the last one of
these being a really exciting final at Clare College (as
reported in the last Newsletter) when they overcame
Bottisham/Lode II. At that point the team was sitting
proudly atop the League and looking invincible! As we all
know, though, sport has a nasty habit of kicking you in the
teeth just as things are going well. The team’s next match
was against Abbots Ripton, the only side who could
realistically pip them for the title and, with just 12 runs
needed and 5 wickets in hand, it all looked a formality.
Amazingly, though, we managed to lose that match by
5 runs and then proceeded to lose two of the last three
matches so, in the end, we had to be satisfied with the
runners-up spot which still ensured promotion to the next
level. All in all, we’d certainly have taken that at the start
of the summer and Alan and all the lads are to be heartily
congratulated for a brilliant effort throughout the season.
It’s always a bit invidious to pick out individuals when a
team has done so well but the 2nd’s major strength was in
its bowling where the top four wicket takers from the whole
of our League were Cottenham players – Dan Parrott, with
a standout 33 wickets, Alan Raven (23), Liam Brett (20)
and Terry Brown (19). That was a remarkable effort. Our
batting, also, was much better than in 2010 with David
Chaplin top-scoring on 237 runs at 29.6, Dan Parrott (219
runs at 43.8) giving great support and Hardus du Toit (175
runs), Ben Drane (163 runs) and Dominic Drane (127 runs)
all making important contributions. David also snapped
up 12 wickets behind the stumps, the best ’keeping in
the League. The Cup squad was a little different from the
League one, as it is always hard to get people to give up
two consecutive afternoons at the weekend, but the group
remained essentially the same throughout the summer and
their success was a real team effort so we won’t single any
names out here! All we can add is to say really well done to
This year we ran two Junior teams in the CCA Youth Cricket
Leagues at under-11 and under-13 levels. It’s fair to say
they had an up and down season this year, both teams
winning only two games, but also showing that they really
could have gone on to win more. The U11s started off
their season a bit shakily, some of the boys playing in their
first ever competitive cricket match but, towards the end
of term, they started showing the skills they had revealed
in training and won those two games. Bowling was the
strength this year for the boys, Jonathan Burton leading the
charge with 12 wickets which included an amazing 7-10
against Wimblington. He was well supported by Alexander
O’Neill and Max Cato who both claimed 7 wickets each.
Scoring runs was where we were lacking but next year is a
continued on next page
8
Drane who all gave generously of their time to help
organise and coach our youngsters. Another person richly
deserving of our gratitude is groundsman Andrew King
whose superb work preparing the wickets brought quite
a number of compliments from visiting teams – always
a good yardstick as they can be very quick to comment
adversely if they are unhappy! The square really is looking
good these days and we look forward to its continued
improvement year on year. A cricket club at our level is
defined by its square – it enables the club to play at a
good level, allows the players to enjoy their sport, attracts
new players and builds the club’s reputation so thanks a
lot, Andrew – your work is massively appreciated!
continued from previous page
new season and we will be better for the experience. Max
Cato topped the runs scored with 52 followed by Edward
Audin on 28. This summer was a bit different for the U13’s,
it being their first season in proper cricket. It was always
going to be quite difficult for them and, to make matters
harder, they were actually playing in an age group above
themselves and, for a couple of the boys, two years above
themselves. To their credit, however, they adapted to this
challenge extremely well. Again bowling was the strength
with spin dynamo Dougie Ellis taking 8 wickets and Max
Cato and Thomas Proctor taking 6 and 5 respectively.
The batting proved itself towards the end of the season,
the side almost chasing down 142 set by Fordham. Harry
Lowson came out on top with 175 runs, backed up by
Thomas Proctor with 84 and James Marshall on 82.
We also, as ever, owe a huge debt of gratitude to Nigel
Bolitho for his generous sponsorship of our cricket balls
and thanks, too, to Gerry Bate for his continuing help
with the fixture cards. We are also heavily indebted to the
Curry Palace restaurant in the village for sponsoring our
excellent new shirts and to Shaun’s News for our new
caps. It’s wonderful to get such magnificent support from
local businesses in what are difficult times for all of us so
many, many thanks to you all – it’s really appreciated and
it definitely encourages all of us to give of our very best to
keep the club moving forward.
We would like to congratulate all the boys that played this
year in both our Junior teams. At U11 level: Max Cato,
Edward Audin, Alexander O’Neill, Alasdair Leeding,
Dante Pesci, Jack Stevenson, George Hedge, Euan Lee,
Jonathan Burton, Cameron Stewart, Ben Allouis, Simon
Arnold, Dean Badcock, Max Badcock, Rory Cragg, Daniel
Stone and Christian MacNutt. At U13 level: Harry Lowson,
Thomas Proctor, James Marshall, Joe Hardman, Benjamin
Reed, Toby Drane, Rory Dixon, Dougie Ellis, Henry
Hutchinson, Elliot Heeks, Jack Leeks and Toby Burkett.
Finally, thanks are due to those who gave up their time
to prepare our teas – Deanna Raven, Barbara Partridge,
Celia Tuck, Linda Drane, Rachel Evans, Wendy Johnson
and, indeed, everyone else who helped. And thanks, too, to
all our club officers and supporters as well as Cottenham
Sports and Social Club and the Parish Council for the use
of their facilities.
It’s especially important that we thank those who helped
the club in all sorts of ways. Mick Dean, our Youth Team
Coordinator, who is stepping down this year after many
years of wonderful service to our Juniors as well as serving
as Club Secretary for several more years, and also Alan
Raven, Jake Raven, Dave Partridge, Vic Cato and Dominic
As is always the case, we are ever on the lookout for
new players to join the club and keep it progressing. So
if you are a cricketer in Cottenham who is not currently
playing for us, or maybe know of any cricketers who might
be interested in joining us, please do get in touch (see
contact numbers below). And do, please, check out our
website: www.cottenham.play-cricket.com to keep up-todate with all club news such as winter and pre-season
nets, social events and meetings.
Dave Partridge
Club Contacts: Nigel Lawrence (Chairman) 01954
251054; Dave Partridge (Vice-Chairman) 01954 203210;
Matt Johnson (Secretary) 01223 522407; Mick Dean
(Youth Team Coordinator) 01954 250037
9
Bird report
On a recent walk towards Rampton I watched a red kite
being chased off by a pair of crows. Others have seen
red kites in this area before, but this was a first time for
me. On the same day I watched a pair of small birds
perched on a bush. They turned out to be linnets, birds
which are suffering a decline at the moment. They are
often overlooked and written off as ‘LBJs’ (Little Brown
Jobs), a group which include sparrows, finches and
yellowhammers, in fact any bird which is hard to identify.
Sometimes a bit of patience pays off.
In the last Bird Report, I suggested that Autumn would be
coming early this year. In a way this has proved to be true,
but the weather has also supported the theory that there
is a short season between Summer and Autumn which is
neither one nor the other.
Writing this at the end of October I can see a red admiral
and a large white butterfly in the garden, unusual for this
time of year. In previous years some of the winter birds –
fieldfares and redwings – have already arrived on Long
Drove in the first half of October, but not this year.
Long Drove is proving to be a good place for birds just
now. There are plenty of gulls about, mainly lesser blackbacked gulls and black-headed gulls, with a few great
black-backed gulls. No doubt real experts will spot a few
less common gulls. It is interesting to realise that most of
these gulls will never have seen the sea.
There are still a lot of berries in the fields around the village,
which may well explain why a number of people have told
me that they have seen very few birds in their gardens.
But don’t give up! Please keep on providing the birds with
food, because they will soon need it when the really cold
weather comes.
Water is returning to the ponds on Long Drove, and I
was pleased to see some ducks there and a heron and
a little grebe.
The number of birds in our garden has certainly increased
lately. We now have a daily flock of goldfinches – a
maximum of eight at any one time – and they give us a
lot of pleasure. It didn’t take them long to find the Niger
seeds. We also have visits from long-tailed tits. These
delightful birds keep in small flocks, but when they fly from
tree to tree they have a curious habit of flying one by one.
This seems to be the opposite of “safety in numbers”. Any
explanation?
The colder weather brings changes in the bird world
which are not always obvious. For instance, the robins,
blackbirds and thrushes which we see in the winter may
not be the same birds that we see in summer. These birds
migrate from north to south and some may even come
from Scandinavia.
There is much to look out for in winter and I am looking
forward to seeing redwings on the Village Green and
hearing the harsh cry of the fieldfares.
At the moment there are large flocks of gulls or lapwings
in the fields. I was recently asked why these flocks are
almost always in the centre of the fields and not round the
edges. I admit that I don’t know, but assume once again
that it is a question of safety. Any other ideas?
Jasper Kay October 24th 2011.
10
Ladybirds
to call in to the Sports & Social club (next to Ladybirds)
to see those who have been well behaved and good
throughout the year. I don’t know how many people he’ll
agree to see ... Come and join us for breakfast – cereal,
toast and juice – and a present from the big man himself.
This is all included in the ticket price of £4 per child (for
tickets bought in advance) or £5 on the day. Refreshments
for adults will also be available to buy.
We blinked – and it’s Christmas!
Where did the time go? What on earth have we been
doing?
Well ... this term has been busy as we have welcomed
lots of new little faces into our sessions and we’re already
bursting at the seams with children. We’ve been very busy
designing Christmas cards to be professionally printed;
we’ve raised over £300 for Breast Cancer Care with our
Stay and Play session, dressing up days, cake sales and
Cottenham Feast activities; we won 3rd place for our
Peppa Pig float at the Feast AND have been busy raising
money for Ladybirds by scouring our houses for as many
red things as possible! It’s simply been exhausting! Thank
you for all of the support that you have given us in all of our
on-going fundraising efforts.
We will also be repeating our popular mulled wine and
BBQ to accompany the Christmas Carols on the Green
on Tuesday 20th December. This really is a magical
community event just before Christmas Day, so please
come along and join us.
Our Annual General Meeting will be held on 18th January
2012 and the pre-school’s constitution allows us to
include members from the wider community to join our
committee of Trustees. We currently have representatives
from a selection of different groups within Cottenham as
Trustees of our charity and we would welcome any further
interest shown by people, without any current direct
involvement in Ladybirds, who may be out there. If you
are interested in getting involved in a community charity
and having an impact on the development of our children,
please get in touch with me (rebecca@cole.uklinux.net) or
the Pre-school office.
It is as a direct result of all of our fundraising, as well
as funds we have acquired through successful grant
applications and donations (both one off and on-going),
that we have been able to buy and install a permanent and
fixed canopy to cover part of the garden area at Ladybirds.
We have also been able to install a safety surface beneath
the canopy which has provided all of our children with a
large and safe area to play in regardless of the weather.
Come and take a look – it’s fantastic and the staff and
children love it.
In the meantime, everyone at Ladybirds wishes you all a
very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous
New Year.
In the countdown to Christmas there is no let-up in our
activities! On Saturday 3rd December, Santa will once
again be coming to have breakfast with us. He has agreed
Rebecca Cole,
Trustee Chairperson
11
Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!!
This Christmas Cottenham Theatre Workshop is proud to
present ‘PIRATES!’ (a pantomime starring Cinderella).
The only way of finding out is to get your tickets from
The Corner Shop, High Street, Cottenham, 01954
252350 and come and see for yourselves. The dates
of the show are Wednesday December 7th to Saturday
December 10th, evenings at 7:30p.m., Saturday
matinee at 3:00p.m.
This year’s pantomime is a rip-roaring tale of piracy
on the High Seas! Cinderella is captured while on her
honeymoon by the evil Bluebeard and his fierce gang of
(mostly female) pirates! Will she be rescued? Can Prince
Charming swim ashore and get help from the Big Bad
Wolf and Red Riding Hood?
Wear your best pirate outfits (no swords please!) and
come and have fantastic evening! And remember – tickets
ONLY available at the Corner Shop!
From Our PCSO
Feast Thanks!
Our non-emergency number has now changed to 101.
The 0345 number will remain working for a little longer
until the changeover has happened.
We would like to thank everyone for supporting the feast
again this year. It was a lovely day and hopefully everyone
had fun. We collected approximately £750 which will go to
various local groups who applied to the Feast Committee.
We are experiencing an increasing number of reports
of anti-social behaviour in the village. There have been
reports of minor criminal damage throughout the village
especially after a year 10 party which was held in the
recreation ground on Lambs Lane on Friday 14th October.
We ask parents to talk to their teenage children to find
out if they have any knowledge of the party and to find
out who was involved in this vandalism. We are also
asking parents to have a look at what their children are
taking out with them when they go out and about in the
village. There has been an increase in graffiti, with use
of red and black paint along with black marker pens. If
you wish to discuss further then please email me on:
claire.whiteman@cambs.pnn.police.uk or call 101.
For the record the winning floats were:
1st
2nd 3rd
U16s
W.I. with ‘Alice in Wonderland’
2nd Cottenham Brownies with ‘2012 Olympics’
Ladybirds with ‘Peppa Pig’
3rd Cottenham Brownies with ‘Japanese float’
I know some groups have already started thinking about
ideas for next year’s floats!
Thank you again for supporting the feast from the Feast
Committee.
12
Parish Council
we would ask owners to be more thoughtful of others. We
suspect that those responsible would not be happy if the
reverse applied.
The following matters are brought to your attention:
Co-op – Meetings have been held with the Co-op and their
architects to assist them in applying for planning permission
following the fire in July. The second meeting also involved
the District Council, and the Highways Authority. The Coop wish to open the store on the 8th December initially
offering a smaller retail area of 2000 sq ft, which will
eventually increase from the original 2500 sq ft to 3000 sq
ft on the same footprint. The shopfront will be updated, and
obviously the roof will be replaced as will the storage area
at the rear. The latter will be dealt with later.
Histon Neighbourhood Police Panel Meeting – A
number of Councillors attended this meeting held at
Impington Village College in early October. We were
advised that total crime in Cottenham dropped from 84
offences in the previous quarter to 49. 12 months ago the
figure for July to September was 79. Anti social behaviour
dropped markedly from 69 to 36 incidents. Over the
previous 12 months reported ASB has fallen 50% from
2010’s figure of 75. The police will continue to consider
the recreation ground as a priority, but see item below.
Vandalism – Over the weekend of the 14th/15th October
serious vandalism and anti-social behaviour occurred
on the recreation ground. An industrial bin was emptied
with rubbish strewed down Lambs Lane and the access
road to the recreation ground. In addition to clearing this
up, the Groundsman and myself collected well over 100
bottles and cans from the grass area of the rec. Teenagers
as young as 13 were involved, and the police took some
home to their parents. Quite clearly parents need to know
where their youngsters are, especially in the early hours of
the morning, and be more responsible.
Cambridgeshire Police Authority – County Councillor
John Reynolds spoke at the above meeting advising that
the go-ahead had been given for four joint functions.
Savings of up to £3m per year will be achieved following
the recent agreement to establish four new joint functions
for Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary
and Hertfordshire Constabulary. The three organisations’
Police Authorities have given the go-ahead for joint
Firearms, Major Crime, Professional Standards and
Scientific Services units to be established early next
year as the “Strategic Alliance” between the three forces
continues to develop and strengthen. We were told that
the 1011 officers in Cambridgeshire will be retained,
which is good news.
David Mudd,
Cottenham Parish Council
Dog Fouling – You will probably say “not again”. This
time we have had reports of fouling on front gardens;
in particular a property in Franklin Gardens, and one in
Woodlark Drive have been affected. As previously stated
13
New Head at Village College
I am delighted to take this opportunity to say hello. I am
Steve Ellison and, as from 1st January 2012, I will be the
Executive Headteacher of the Cottenham Academy. As
most readers will be aware, the Academy is made up of
the Village College and the Centre School.
when I was younger. I am also interested in current affairs.
I read widely, particularly modern fiction and historical or
political biography. As I am a history teacher, the latter is
not very surprising!
I am really excited about the possibilities and challenges
offered by my new post. I am a passionate believer in the
importance of schools and colleges being part of a wider
community. This means that whether or not you have
direct links with the Academy, I hope to meet you and to
work with you, in the coming months and years, as that is
undoubtedly the best way to increase the life chances of
all our young people.
With very best wishes,
Steve Ellison
WI
I am currently a Deputy Headteacher at Hinchingbrooke
School in Huntingdon. My responsibilities include
the leadership and management of the curriculum,
developing teaching and learning and line managing the
school’s guidance work. I have been fortunate to have
gained a broad range of experience at Hinchingbrooke
and in the other schools at which I have worked. Other
responsibilities have included personnel, pastoral and
post-16 responsibilities. I believe that this range and depth
of experience, gained over thirty years in five very different
comprehensive schools in different parts of the country,
will allow me to build on the excellent leadership which
Tony Cooper has given the Academy and its community.
Our Autumn Programme got off to a good start with a
talk from one of our members on smuggling in the 17th
and 18th centuries. It focussed on Robin Hoods Bay in
Yorkshire and was called appropriately: ‘For a Keg of
Good Brandy’. This was followed in September by a talk
and demonstration from an expert on ‘Chocolate Artistry’
which was very popular with the members who were
enthusiastic samplers of the end-products produced.
We at the WI are always prepared to sacrifice our
principles on dieting in the name of research and were
particularly pleased to be told that eating a small piece
of dark chocolate daily has quite a few health-giving
properties. We are therefore determined to continue our
research for the high-minded purpose of giving benefit to
the public.
I have managed to spend some time at Cottenham since
my appointment. I am ever more impressed with each
visit. As OFSTED noted in 2009, it is a good school with
outstanding features. I have found the staff, students and
governors to be very welcoming and there is a shared
drive for further improvement. Indeed, from my point of
view, the most encouraging feature of the school is that
there is no sense of complacency. No organisation can
stand still; they either move forwards or backwards. I am
absolutely confident that by working in partnership we will
drive the academy to even greater success.
The coffee morning held during the August break at the
British Legion Hall was a great success. We have decided
to hold another one in early December incorporating a
bring-and-buy to assist our fundraising. This will be an
excellent opportunity to do some Christmas Shopping
away from the crowds.
We are always pleased to welcome new members at our
monthly meetings which start at 7:30pm and not 8:00pm
as had been suggested. The meetings are held at the
Village College on the second Wednesday of the month.
On a personal level, I live in Cambridgeshire and have done
since moving to Hinchingbrooke in 2000. I am married to
an infant school teacher and we have two children. I have
a keen interest in sport, albeit less as a participant than
Pauline Goss
14
Community
Centre
Mediterranean
Diet Talk
The Community Centre Coffee Shop has been running
successfully now for nine months. In that time, many
people have been through the doors to enjoy the coffee,
cakes and delicious lunches available there. We are
hugely indebted to our wonderful volunteers who give
freely of their time to make sure this facility is available to
everyone. If you would like to become a volunteer, please
contact Jane Hackshaw (Coffee Shop Manager) or Dawn
Geer (Deputy Manager) when the Coffee Shop is open
(10:00am to 2:00pm Monday to Saturday inclusive).
Recently Dr Simon Poole gave a fascinating talk at the
Cottenham Community Centre about the benefits of
enjoying a Mediterranean diet. The talk, well attended by
people of all ages, was very informative and enjoyable. If you
want to know more you can download a booklet by logging
onto Dr Poole’s website: www.tasteofthemed.com
Thank you to Dr Poole – his passion definitely showed
through and was clearly backed up by data and research
findings in a PowerPoint presentation. Please can we have
more talks about ways of staying healthy – particularly as
we grow older.
Over the Christmas break we think our volunteers and
staff need a break to spend time with their families
(or whatever else they choose to do!). Therefore, the
Coffee Shop will close for the Christmas break on Friday
December 23 at 2:00pm and will remain closed until
Tuesday 3 January 2012.
Many of us also enjoyed a healthy and delicious supper
together before the talk. Thank you to Jane and Dawn at
the coffee shop for organising this.
Dr Poole also mentioned the benefits of exercise – there
are many opportunities within Cottenham and local villages.
I attend a wonderfully friendly, weekly exercise class with
a range of ages and which includes a talk on nutrition/
taking care of our bodies. I have found it very helpful in
keeping fit, losing weight and making new friends in the
process. Contact me if you want to know more, email:
smbainbridge@ntlworld.com
The Coffee Shop is often a busy place. It can be a good
location to promote village activities, small businesses or
even commercial ventures. A table is available for hire for
£10 per session (for commercial ventures the price will be
by negotiation). So why not promote your activity or craft
venture by taking advantage of a place to promote it which
is warm and has nice coffee!
I look forward to more interesting talks in the future.
Thank you.
From the middle of January, bookings for the community
centre will be taken at the coffee shop. We would like
to thank the Corner Shop for their support in doing the
bookings since we opened.
Sue Bainbridge
15
Chequers recipe
be made well in advance and can be served by dad and
the kids to give mum a break. Try Christmas pudding ice
cream, this is really delicious and simple.
Now that we are approaching winter and are bombarded
with everything Christmas it gives us the opportunity
to think about Christmas lunch. Of course turkey is the
obvious choice, although there are some delicious
alternatives that could be taken advantage of. Goose was
the historical traditional alternative but it can be expensive.
If you are not serving a large family, roast duck makes a
lovely Christmas dinner. Small game birds like partridge,
teal and woodcock are terrific if you are a game lover.For
a vegetarian option, parsnip, cranberry and chestnut loaf
makes a nice Christmas centre piece.
Christmas Pudding Ice Cream
Ingredients: 1 pint fresh whipping cream, 7oz sugar, 5 egg
yolks, 2 vanilla pods (split), 1 x 1lb Christmas pudding.
Preparation and Cooking:
Place the cream in a saucepan with vanilla pod and
seeds and bring just to the boil. Meanwhile with an
electric mixer beat the egg yolks and sugar together until
white and creamy.
Let us take a look at a slightly different recipe to ensure
your turkey does not get dry when cooking. By placing a
lemon, herb and garlic butter under the skin of the turkey
breast you can add flavour to the turkey while ensuring the
flesh stays moist. Also our recipe will show you a lovely
alternative to traditional turkey recipes by smoking your
turkey to enhance the flavour.
Now add the cream to the egg mix and mix well. Return the
mixture to the saucepan and place on a low heat, stirring
all the time – you must not let the mixture boil otherwise
the eggs will start to scramble. A good guide as to when
the mixture is ready is to dip a wooden spoon in it and with
your finger draw a line across the back of the spoon. If the
line you make stays defined then the mixture is ready.
Smoked Whole Turkey
This recipe is quite simple, but very unique.
Pour into a plastic bowl and place in the refrigerator until
cool. Next, take your Christmas pudding and crumble into
the cooled mixture, taste it, and if you wish, add some
brandy or rum.
Roast the turkey using a very traditional method or using
lemon, herb and garlic recipe above. During the last 10
minutes or so of roasting, soak some woodchips – apple
wood, cherry wood or oak (do not use any wood chips
which may contain glue or chemicals as this will affect the
flavour of the turkey).
Now place in the freezer and remove to stir every 2 hours
until the ice cream is hard.
Drain the wood and put it in the bottom of a pan which is
large enough to hold your turkey (you can use the same
roasting pan if you wish, just clean it first, or use a smoker
large enough for your turkey). Place an oiled rack on top
of the wood and place the pan on your stovetop over
medium-high heat.
On Christmas Day cook some fresh cranberries in sugar
and a little butter until the fruit begins to soften and the
juices run, check for sweetness by tasting. To serve,
remove the ice cream from the freezer, place the plastic
bowl containing the ice cream into a larger bowl of hot
water for a few seconds to release the ice cream and turn
immediately onto a large plate. Remove the bowl while you
are heating the cranberries and pour over the now inverted
ice cream, then serve immediately.
Soon, you’ll see the woodchips begin to smoke. At this
point place the roasted turkey on the rack and either put a
lid on the pan or cover the bird with foil. Allow it to “smoke”
for 10 to 15 minutes.
During December we are serving our Christmas party
menu and a six course Christmas Day lunch. We would
like to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy
Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous 2012
This recipe not only brings a unique flavour to your bird, it
makes your kitchen smell incredible, and leaves you with
wonderful leftovers for sandwiches.
All the staff, Louise, Ashley, Trevor and Florence from the
Chequers
Now that the main course is taken care of, why not have
a simple home-made ice cream for pudding? This can
16
Holly Walk
Advent
Concert
The traditional ‘Holly Walk’ will take place as usual this
year on Boxing Day, Monday December 26th. It is an easy
walk of just under four miles, suitable for anyone. Meet at
Cottenham High Street/Broad Lane corner at 10:30am.
Choir 2000 is set to get you into a festive mood for
Christmas. Forget the shopping list and listen to glorious
music from Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
and Thomas Weelkes’ Gloria in excelsis. Enjoy a great
selection of carols, some for you to join in, and listen to the
fresh young voices of the recently formed youth choir ‘Sine
nomine’ (on Saturday only).We have also invited students
of Impington Village College to perform on Friday.
Jasper Kay
Thanks
The Parish Council speaking on behalf of residents
would like to thank Jigs of Shaun’s Newsagents for his
considerable efforts in helping the community with the
service he has offered whilst the Co-op has been closed.
It has been much appreciated by all. Thank you, Jigs.
The performances will be held on Friday 9th and Saturday
10th December at 8:00pm at the Histon Baptist Church.
Tickets are £10.00 (concessions £8.00, students £5.00)
and are available from Jane’s Frames and the Histon
Beauty Studio. Under 16s are admitted free of charge.
You can also get tickets from members of Choir 2000 or
on the night.
There will be a retiring collection in aid of the Histon based
charity ‘Mercy Ships’.
For further information visit our website:
www.choir2000.org or contact info2000@choir2000.org.
17
Letters
to the Editor:
Mencap needs
volunteers
Would you like to make a difference to the life of a child or
young person with disabilities in your area?
Dear Editor,
Cambridgeshire Mencap is looking for volunteers for its
Family Support and Befriending Schemes. Our schemes
match volunteers with children or young people with
learning disabilities to enable them to socialise or just to
give their families a break. It only takes a few hours of your
time and it really does change lives.
For a number of years my driving confidence seems to
have waned so I decided to try to do something about it.
We think our volunteers are exceptional and you could be
too! We give training and support but it’s the young people
who make it all worthwhile. Rob, one of our volunteers,
said: “I’m so glad I got in touch about volunteering. If you’re
thinking about volunteering just do it, you’ll never regret it.”
After making some enquiries, I discovered that the Advanced
School of Motoring do a free assessment lasting an hour. I
took up the offer and did the assessment. A lovely lady from
Histon Road took me out. I didn’t want to do the test for the
Advanced Course as I don’t do the mileage, but I am going
to do with her three one and a half sessions for £35 in total
to improve my skills and confidence.
I had heard good things about the speed awareness
course that the police run, but obviously you need to get
caught speeding to do one which I didn’t want to do.
If you would like to know more, please contact Pat Scott
on 01223 883140 or pat@cambridgeshiremencap.co.uk
On one lesson we went out for longer than an hour and
admittedly it was hard as I don’t normally drive that long
but I learnt such a lot. It is different to how we were taught,
nothing to do with steering wheels etc. She is now going
to do me shorter lessons in a time scale which suits me.
DOCTOR RETIRES
It is with sadness that we have to announce the retirement
of Dr Julie Gould from the High Street Practice, who will
be leaving us at the end of December after 21 years. The
staff and all her patients wish her a very happy retirement.
I’m really glad that I took the plunge and went to the
Advanced School of Motoring If your driving confidence
needs a boost, perhaps it might be for you too.
A new partner, Dr Alisdair Macnair, will be joining us on
1st February.
A Cottenham Resident (Name and address supplied)
.........
Dear Editor,
I am moved to write regarding the front page article from
your last issue, entitled ‘Decision Time for Village Hall’.
Firstly, I was bemused to find that the ‘shed on the rec’
was in fact deemed to be a village hall. In the 30 years
that I have lived in the village I have only ever known it
as a Sports & Social Club, home of the Cottenham Day
Centre and a Playgroup, occasionally a most inconvenient
place to have to go to vote and of course a favourite
target/hangout for local vandals. My view is that for these
purposes the building is adequate but could do with some
continued on next page
18
elephant on the rec sounds eerily familiar. Wasn’t that the
kind of fiscal lunacy that gave the UK the largest per capita
deficit of all the developed countries?
continued from previous page
updating and of course a lot less vandalism. Clearly
however, the somewhat remote location and poor access
excludes the recreation ground from being anything other
than its’ name suggests and certainly not a suitable site for
a vibrant Village Hall.
As the Parish Council has already wasted significant time and
money on this ill-conceived and wholly unnecessary project,
it would appear that the precept they receive is excessive for
the basic statutory duties they are required to perform. This
being the case, would it not be more appropriate that they
return the excess money to source with the proviso that it
is used for projects that improve the village for all residents,
such as repairing and upgrading the numerous pavements
around the village that have been in an appalling condition
for many years? That would do far more to ‘reflect the
stature of Cottenham as one of the largest village in South
Cambridgeshire’ than giving a few visiting football players a
luxury shower. As for ‘reputation’, it will probably take less
than a week for the vandals to make any new structure in this
location look as appealing as the current one. Perhaps this
eventuality has already been considered and once built, the
Council Tax payer will be expected to stump up even more
to pay for a ‘live on site’ Village Hall warden/security guard?
Secondly, I could not believe that in the current period of
severe mainstream council service cuts, our local Parish
Council has the audacity to even consider spending vast
sums to enable a small minority of villagers to have a
shower after playing sports on already heavily subsidised
facilities. The village already has ‘adequate’ facilities
on the rec plus, two large schools with several large
Halls/Spaces and excellent sports facilities, a recently
refurbished Community Centre, a Salvation Army Hall,
a British Legion Hall and a very attractive Church Hall
(apologies if I have missed any) and a number of Public
Houses that I am sure would be pleased to offer after
sport libations. Surely, if the sport playing minority in
the community require luxury facilities beyond those
mentioned above, they should be encouraged to raise
the funds necessary to provide and maintain them and
not place that burden on the rest of the community.
Yours incensed,
Phill Ford
Thirdly, the article suggests that, whilst the various cost
estimates quoted are extremely vague, conflicting and
appear to make no logical sense, the Parish Council has
already decided to build new facilities on the rec. This
leads me to the conclusion that the ‘Village Hall Survey’ is
merely an academic exercise enabling the Parish Council
to say that the ‘villagers were asked their opinions’, albeit
after the event. This hypothesis is supported by the fact
that the survey document has no return instructions on it
or provision for verification that the responses are even
from residents of this village. It can therefore be easily
duplicated enabling groups with vested interests to put
forward multiple copies in support of minority views.
Hence, the results of the survey will have about as much
credibility as an election in a banana republic. One can
only speculate as to whether these basic flaws exist
through incompetence or strategic intent.
The suggestion that the Parish Council should take out a
loan to cover the un-quantified costs of building this white
Letters for publication may be sent to the Editor, and
should include the name and address of the sender,
although this may be omitted from publication if requested.
Please keep correspondence short and topical. Please
note that the Editor may use his discretion regarding
publication, and his decision is final. The views expressed
by correspondents and other contributors are their own
and are not necessarily shared by the Editor.
ARTICLES, DATES AND
ADVERTISEMENTS
E–mail, PC floppy disk and paper submissions are
all welcome. Please contact the Editor if you have
any questions. Dates of events to be advertised in
the next issue (No. 127) should span the months of
February and March.
Deadline:
FOR NEXT ISSUE
25th DECEMBER
19
Contacts:
District Councillors
Lynda Harford
cllr.harford@scambs.gov.uk, 251775
Police
Simon Edwards cllr.edwards@scambs.gov.uk,
Doctors
01223 233682 / 07711 079089
Tim Wotherspoon General Switchboard 0345 456 4101
Community Beat Office 01223 358966
Dr. Julie Gould, 188 High Street
Dr. M. Grande, 42 Telegraph Street
250079
251180
Urgent Care Cambridge
(formerly Camdoc) 0330 123 9131
251071
District Nurse Team
Cottenham CareCar
Co–ordinator, 10:00am – 4:00pm, Gerry Brett
251929
Cottenham Community Centre
202109
Cottenham Charities250387
Cottenham Day Centre250636
Cottenham Toy Library Christina Koester 270334
Cottenham WI Mrs Rita Williams
251454
Dentist Wiese and Associates, 40 Margett Street 251696
Chemist 222 High Street 250556
Chiropractor
www.inspiredchiropractic.com
01223 864444
Counsellor & Therapist Ruth Barnett,
ruth@counselling-cambs.co.uk
Osteopath
202556, 07961 644006
Physic, reception@physic.co.uk
01223 237459
Physiotherapist Tiffany de la Cour, 07879 642697
Veterinary Surgeon Village Vet Cottenham, 252122
Schools
Cottenham Village College and Community Office
County Primary, Lambs Lane
Under Ones Group Baptist Church Pre–School
Ladybirds Pre–School, Recreation Ground
Out of School Club
Brownies & Rainbows
288944
250227
252378
250891
01223 568397
Chris Hurworth
203764
1st Cottenham Guides Alison Morris
202873
Scouts2ndcottenham@gmail.com
Newsagents Shaun’s News 250398
The Corner Shop
01954 252350
Council Offices
County Council Switchboard
SCDC Switchboard
Parish Council Clerk
0345 045 5222
0345 045 0500
julie.groves@ntlworld.com, 202928
timwothers@aol.com,252108
County Councillors
David Jenkins
david.jenkins@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
01223 236232 / 07739 758859
Sue Gymer
suegymer@ntlworld.com
01954 252902 / 07919 036246
British Red Cross Shop
Citizens Advice Bureau
01223 301426
66 Devonshire Road, Cambridge, CB1 3BL 0844 848 7979
Social Services Histon Team
01223 718011
Mobile Warden Scheme200080
NSPCC
Cottenham Area Team, 01733 558245
RSPCA
24 hour cruelty & advice line, 0300 1234 999
Samaritans
Cambridge Centre, 01223 364455
Railway Station Cambridge
Passenger Enquiries 0845 7484950
Driving Instruction TOPS Driving School 252239
Insurance Saffron Insurance
01954 203204
Library
Margett Street, 0345 0455225
Library Doorstep ServiceHilary Firth, 01223 718358
Parish Church The Rectory, 6 High Street, 250454
Baptist Church
Church Office, 252378
Catholic ChurchSt Laurences Church, 01223 704640
Methodist Churchsimon.oliver@cantab.net
07554 202929
Salvation Army Envoys Russell & Alison Day 252419
Royal British Legion
Ann Scott, 251468
ann.scott23@ntlworld.com
Cottenham Brass Band Colin Watson, 250813
Bridge Farm Riding School252284
Allotments Cottenham United Charities
200080
Sustainable Cottenham
Christine Ward 01954 251813